Container with rip strip tongue folded into lock seam



Nov. 24, 1953 J., HENCHERT 2,660,332

CONTAINER WITH RIP STRIP TONGUE FOLDED INTO'LOCK SEAM Filed Sept. l7, 1951 qua 1144441 0,

IIIIIA'IIIIIIIIIII;/-V

\ ATTORNEYS Pa tented Nov. 24, 1953 CONTAINER WITH RIP STRIP TONGUE FOLDED INTO LOCK SEAM John Henchert, River Forest, 111., assignor to Continental Gan Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 17, 1951, Serial No. 247,006

Claims.

The invention relates generally to metallic receptacles, and more particularly to containers having side seams formed at least in part of interlocked inner and outer hooks and which also have rip strips extending thereabout to facilitate opening, and it primarily seeks to provide a novel form and arrangement of rip strip.

Containers equipped with Tip strips defined by score-weakened lines extending about the con.- tainer bodies and terminating in tongue extensions intended to be wound on keys for tearing out the rip strip and opening the container are well known, and, of course, such rip strips have been used in containers having side seams of the interlocked hook type. However, in such containers considerable difficulty has been experienced in providing a proper seal at the position of the rip strip in containers wherein the rip strip extension breaks the continuity of one of the side seam hooks, and when it is sought to avoid this problem by folding the rip strip extension into the seam, another difficulty is encountered. It has been found that in opening such containers by key winding of the rip strip, the tearing out of the portion of the strip folded upon itself in the side seam causes a lifting and outward puckering of the outwardly directed free edge portion of the inner hook at the position of the rip strip. This provides a hand damaging hazard which is particularly objectionable in containers wherein the tear strips are so formed as to leave an intact hinge portion to facilitate reclosing of an opened container. It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a container structure wherein all of the above mentioned difiiculties and problems are avoided.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container structure of the character stated wherein the rip strip is folded upon itself in the side seam so as to avoid breaking of the continuity of the hooks at the position of the rip strip, and the outwardly directed free edge portion of the inner hook at the position of the infolded portion of said rip strip is defined and weakened so that it will readily tear away with the rip strip as the latter is wound on the key in opening the container, thereby avoiding the provision of any hand damaging hazard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container structure of the character stated wherein the defining and weakening of the outwardly directed free edge portion of the inner hook is accomplished by providing a weakening score line extending transversely with relation to the direction of extension of the rip strip and approximately at the fold line of the inner hook, and by providing two tear out hook portion defining slits traversing said inner free edge portion of the inner hook with said slits approximately aligned with the rip strip defining score lines.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more fully understood by following the detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an outside face view illustrating a can body blank embodying the invention, a central portion of the blank being broken away.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary inside face View of the blank of Figure 1, the portion of the blank adjacent the inner terminus of the rip strip being shown.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the upper edge portion of the blank of Figure 1, a central portion of the blank being broken away.

Figure 4 is a side elevation illustrating a container structure formed from the blank of Figures 1, 2 and 3 and end closures suitably applied thereon.

Figure 5 is a detail horizontal cross section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail horizontal cross section taken on the line 6--B on Figure 4.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed the container body is formed from a sheet metal blank as disclosed in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The blank 5 is equipped with parallel rip strip defining score lines 6, and a rip strip tongue extension I extending from one side of the blank in line with the score line defined rip strip. At the position of the rip strip tongue extension, the blank edge preferably is transversely slit as at 8 throughout the depth of the outer hook 9 to be formed in that edge portion of the blank so as to place the base of the tongue at the juncture of the hook 9 with the container body proper. The base of the outer hook 9 is indicated by the fold line I0, and the comparable fold line H, at the opposite side edge of the blank defines the inner hook I2. It is to be understood that when the blank side edge portions are folded in the usual manner at the fold lines 10 and H, the outer and inner hooks 9 and I2 will be formed in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.

It is important to note that the rip strip terminates as at It adjacent the inner hook fold line H and that the inner hook I2 is traversed by two slits it which are longitudinally aligned with the rip strip defining score lines 6 and cooperate with a score line [5 aligned with the fold line H in defining a tear out portion IS in the outwardly directed free edge portion of the inner hook 12.

When the can body is made up and the side seam thereof is formed by bringing the hooks 9 and I2 together into interlocking relation in the manner illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, the completed seam, generally designated [1, will be provided throughout the length of the can body generally designated I8, The seam is completed by bumping in'the usualmanner, and during the completion of the seam, abutment shoulders l9 and are placed at opposite sides of the seam and against the hook folds in position foraiding in preventing free separation of the interlocked hooks 9 and [2 as a result of crushing strains imposed upon the container body;

During the formation of the said seam the tongue extension I is folded into the side seam in the manner clearly illustrated inFigures l and 5 of the drawing, said tongue being iolded'upon itself to form a rebent portion 2| clamped in the side seam structure and. avoiding the breaking of the continuity of the outer hook 9 at the position of the rip strip which would otherwise occur should the tongue have been extended circumferentially from the fold line of said hook according to com'entional practice instead of being so folded.

The seam structure may be sealed by solder bonding in the usual manner, as indicated at 22, or this sealing may take the form of any conventional dope or sealing compound. The container structure includes the usual bottom 23 and top 24, and it is preferred that the conventional collar (not shown) be included inwardly of the rip strip and opposite the same so that a portion thereof will project above the edge formed at the lower score line 6 in the usual manner when the rip strip is torn out incidental to the opening of the container and facilitate reclosing of the container. In other words, the container top 24 and the body ring remaining attached thereto after the tearing out of the rip strip will remain l connected to the main body by the solid hinge portion 25 beside the terminus l3 of the rip strip and can be reclosed repeatedly over or within the upper edge of the collar in the well known manner.

When it is desired to open the container, the key is applied to the tongue extension 1 in the usual manner, and by winding the tongue extension on the key the rebent portion 2! thereof incorporated in the seam structure is first pulled out of the seam structure and then the rip strip proper will be ripped out progressively to effect the desired opening of the container. Without the provision of the tear out area defining and weakening slits i l and score line IS the pulling out of the folded tongue extension portion 2| would result in an outward bending or puckering of the outwardly directed free edge portion of the inner hook l6 (downward as viewed in Figure 5),

and this would provide a projecting meta1 edge I on which a user of the container could readily damage a hand. However, by reason of the provision of the slits M and score line I5, the portion S6 of the-inner hook I2 is readily torn away with the rip strip as it is wound on the key and the problem of providing a hand damaging metal edge projection is entirely eliminated.

While an example form of the invention is disclosed herein, it is to be understood that the structural details and arrangement of parts may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim: h 7 v v 1. In a container, a body having a side seam formed at least in part of interlocked hooks and scorelines extending about the body there- 4 of at the position of said interlocked hooks and defining a rip strip, and .a windingikey receiving tongue extending from the defined rip strip and folded upon itself in and extending freely from the side seam, said tongue being extended from the outermost one of the interlocked hooks and being weakened at its defined edges and whereit extends across to the fold line of said outermost hook, and the portion of the outwardly directed free edge" portion of the inner hook opposedto said foldedportion of the tongue being defined'b'yw'eakening lines so that it will be readilyupu'lled away out of said inner hook as the folded tongue portion is pulled out of the seam as an incident to the winding of the rip strip on a key during the opening of the container.

2. Container structure as defined in claiin 1 wherein the side seam including the tongue portion folded therein is solder bonded whereby the portion of the outwardly directed free edge of the inner hook opposed to said folded tongue portion will adhere thereto so as to assure the complete pulling away of said inner hook portion with the rip strip as it is ripped out. I

3. Container structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the weakening lines defining the portion of the outwardly directed free edge portion of the inner hook comprise slits extending through the inner hook from its free edge to its fold and a score line extending along said fold.

4. Container structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the weakening lines defining the portion of the outwardly directed free edge portion of the inner hook comprise slits extending through the inner hook from its free edge to its fold and a score line extending along said fold, and wherein the side seam including the tongue portion folded therein is solder bonded whereby the portion of the outwardly directed free edge of the inner hook opposed to said folded tongue portion will adhere thereto so as to assure th complete pulling away of said inner hook portion with the rip strip as it is ripped out.

5. A blank from which to form a rip strip container body and comprising a rectangular body having an outer hook area extending along one side edge and an inner hook area extending along the other side edge, score lines-extending in parallel relation across the blank to the outer hook area from a point at least adjacent to the inner hook area and defining a rip strip, a winding key receivin tongue extension forming a continuation of the rip strip beyond said outer hook area, slits extending across and through said outer hook area and in part defining said tongue extension, slits extending across and through the outer edge of the inner hook area in alignment with said score lines, and a score line extending along the inner edge of the inner hook area and connectin at its ends with said inner hook area traversing slits.

' JOHN HENCHERT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 543,347 McDonald July 23, 1895 2,289,424 Hodgson July 14, 1942 2,325,084 Then July 27, 1943 2,335,268 Erb Nov. 30, 194 2,365,112 Schrader et al Dec. 12, 1944 

